Conveyer



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Nw QN NN MN w h May 15 1928.

C. R. CLAGHORN CONVEYER Filed Oct. 19. 1926 May 15, 1928 C. R. CLAGHORNCONVEYER Filed Oct. 19. 1926 whens-Sheet 2 Km z \u \U R g V VFEU a... 0;

mw RM mwwm N Patented May 15,1928.

CLARENCE R. CLAGHORN, OF BALTIMORE, MAB.x'll'aAlll'll.

, eoivvnm.

Application filed October 19,1926. Serial ital 142,609

Thisc invention relates to conveyers, and more particularly to conveyershaving an adjustable terminal thereon arcuately movable within certainlimits to different angular positions;

. My invent1on is particularly adaptable for use in mines for conveyingmaterials such as dirt and ore, and particularly 1n the mining .ot'lowcoal where head room is necessarily limited. lhave provided a conveyercomprislng a main trough, and an extension thereon .mounted for pivotalmovement with respect thereto, and means operably, associated therewith"for adjusting the extension in either direction to the desired position.The invention may be applied to a conveyer of the reciprocating troughtype, such as that disclosed in' my copending application Se- ,rial No.142,607, filed Oct. 19, 1926, but it is equally applicable to othertypes of conveyers.

lustrated a present vention.

lln'the accompanying drawings ,1 have il- In the drawings: Figure 1 is aplan view of a conveyer, em bodying my invention; I

Figure-2 is a section taken on the line v II-ironn 1;

1 Figure 3,.is a. section taken on theline 1IIIII of Fig.1;

Figure/l is asectiontaken on the line liviv ,or Fig. 3; and

- V-V vof Fig. 3.

-'Figure 5'1s a section taken on the line In the drawings, 2 designatesthe main portionof'a trough for conveying material 'such as dirt, coal,ore and the like. Bolted or otherwise secured to one end of the troughI2 is a flared end section 3 forming a continuation of the trough andwhich, to 7 all intents and purposes, may be regarded axially disposed.

According to the present invention, there is provided anarcuatelyadjustable trough section 7 for the main conveyer 2. lFastened to theunder side of the trough 7 near one end thereof is a bent plate 8, soformed that when thetrough 7 rests on the flared end 3, the plate 8will'extend between the preferred form of my in-- sired.

1 yoke'memb'ers 4 and 5. The plate 8 is provided with a hole 9- of thesame size and shape as the holes 6. A pin 10, passing through the holes6 and 9, is maintained in positionby cotter pins 11. This atrangementprovides a pivotal connectiontor the trough 7. i I

Bolted to the end portion 3 so as to extend laterally in both directionstherefrom, as shown, 1n Figure 1', is a crossbar 12, preferably formedofangle iron. Bolted to the bar 12 is a leaf spring 13 of approximatelythe same length as the bar. eachend of the spring 13 is a hole 14. .Inthe bar 12 are holes 15 of somewhat greater diameter than the holes 1 1and arranged Nearsubstantially coaxially therewith. Extendmg through theholes 15in the bar12 and the holes let in the spring 13 is a pair' ofeye bolts 16. These bolts are secured to the spring 13 by means of nuts17.

Bolted underneath the trough 7 at some distance from the pivot 10 is .abar 18 hav ing therein a hole 19. Also bolted to the trough 7 andsubstantially at right I angles to the bar 18 is a U-shaped member 20vhaving-therein a hole 21 disposed substantially coaxially with the hole19 in the bar 18. The holes 19 and 21 serve as bearings for a shaft 22which is freely rotatable therein. Keyed to the shaft 22' is a sprocket23 which may be of any desired l typqsuoh i as a pocket sprocket (Fig;4). so keyed to the shaft 22 is a worm wheel 24. The sprocket and wormwheel may be formed tend transversely thereof is a U-shaped' bar 25.Journaled in coaxial holes in the upstanding portions of the bar 25 is ashaft 26. Keyed to the shaft 26 is a worm 27 integrally if desired,.asshown in' Figs, 3

and 5. Bolted to the member 20 so asto exwhich meshes with the worm wheel 24. The

ends of the shaft 26 extend laterally from the trough 7 and are squaredfor the re- 'ception of suitable handles or cranks '28 for direction asdeturning the worm in either have herein shown and described a chain andsprocket, it is to be understood that I may provide any equivalent meansin place thereof, such as a rope or cable and suitable rotatablegripping means. The term chain as used in the claims comprehends anysuch'ineans adapted to m, in tension forfthe purpose desired.

The operation of my improved conveyer is as follows: A handle orcrank-is placed on one or both ends of the shaft 26 and the worm 27turned thereby in a desired direction.' Assuming the shaft 26 to beturned in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3), the Worm wheel 24 andconsequently the shaft 22 will be caused to rotate in a clockwisedirection (Fig;'1).- The sprocket 23 being in grip-f.

ping relationship with the chain 29, such rotation will cause the chainto be tensionedbetween the sprocket andthe upper eye bolt 16 (Fig. 1).This tension will causethe one portion ofthe leaf spring 13 to-be placedunder tension and when suificient stress has been set up in the chain byrotation of the sprocket, the trough 7 will be causedthereby to swingabout its pivot 10 in the'direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Rotation ofthe shaft 26 in the opposite direction will cause the other portion ofthe chain and leaf I spring to be placed under tension and the trough 7to swing in the opposite direction.

.It will thus be seen that by my invention the movable trough 7 may bemoved pivotlength of the chain 29 also changes.

ally in either direction about its connection with the trough 2' bymeans which are a part of the conveyer structure.

As the angle between the movable trough and the fixed trough changes,the effective by reason of the fact that the sum of the lengths of twoadjacent sides of a triangle is variable as the angle between themchanges, thelengths of the third side and the median to the center ofthe third side re maining constant. In order-to compensate for thischange in the'eifectivev length of-the chain, the leaf spring 12 isprovided. It is of such strength that it 'will withstand the 1 held in adesired angular relation with the main conveyer. Another advantage isthe provision of such a means which is relatively simple and rugged inits construction and wherein the chains. or other flexible connectionswill permitof the angular change in the position of the adjustableterminal without the chains ever being loose at any time.

A particular advantage resides in the worm gear mechanism for theadjustment because it will positively hold the terminal portion of theconveyer in the position which it moved.

This is a I have shown and described a preferred embodiment ofmyinventionbut it'is to be understood that it is not limited to the formshown, but ma be otherwise embodied within the scope o the followingclaims. I claim: 1. A conveyer'comprising a fixed trough, a movabletrough mounted for pivotal movement with respect, thereto, and meansoper-' ably associated with said troughs for pivotally moving saidmovable trough.

2. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, a movable trough mounted forpivotal movementwith respect thereto, and means operably associated withsaid fixed trough for engaging said movable trough at a point removedfrom its connection with said fixed trough to move itpivotally in eitherdirection.

3. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, a movable trough mounted forpivotal movement with respect thereto, and a chain connected to saidfixed trough and operably associated with saidmovable trough for-mowingit pivotally in either direction.

4. A conveyer comprising afixed trough, a movable trough mounted forpivotal move ment with respect thereto, a chain one portion of which isconnected with saidfixedtrough andanother portion with said movabletrough, and means for'tensioning said chain to pivotally move saidmovable trough.

5. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, a movable trough mounted t'orpivotal movement with respect thereto, gripping means on said. movabletrough, connectors resilientfor moving said gripping means to causemotion ofsaid movable trough.

6. A conveyer-comprising a fixed trough, a movable trough mounted forpivotal movement with respect thereto, a chain connected at both ends tosaid fixed trough, chain engaging means on said movable trough engagingsaid chain intermediate its ends, and means for moving said chainengaging means tov cause motion of said movable trough.

7. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, a movabletrough mounted forpivotal movement with respect thereto, and means connecting said troughsat points respectively ly connected with said fixed trough and engagedby said gripping means, and means removed from their pivotal connectionfor pivotally moving said movable trough.

8. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough,

a movable trough pivotally connected thereto, a chain resilientlyconnected to said fixed trough at two points removed from the pivotalconnection of said troughs and on 0pposite sides thereof, means on themovable trough forwardly of the pivotal connection between the troughsoperably engaging the chain between its ends, and operating meanstherefor.

9. A conveyer comprising afixed trough, a movable trough pivotall'connected thereto, a chain connected at fixed trough at points onopposite sides of the pivotal connection of said troughs, a sprocket onsaid niovable trough for engaging said chain intermediate its ends, andmeans for rotating said sprocket to move said movable trough.

10. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, an arcuately movable troughconnected therewith, a chain connected with said fixed trough, asprocket on said movable trough for engaging said chain, and means for.rotating said sprocket to tension said chain for moving said movabletrough.

11. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, an arcuately movable troughconnected therewith, a chain resiliently connected at both ends to saidfixed trough at points on opposite sides of the connection of saidtroughs,

a sprocket on said movable trough for engaging said chain intermediateits ends, and means for rotating said sprocket in either desireddirection to cause said chain to move relatively thereto for moving saidmovable trough in the direction of tension of said chain.

12. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, an arcuately movable troughconnected there with, a chain resiliently connected at both ends to saidfixed trough at points on opposite sides of the connection of saidtroughs,

a sprocket on said movable trough for engaging said chain intermediateits ends, and means including a worm gear for rotating said sprocket ineither desired direction to cause said chain to move relatively theretofor movingsaid movable trough in the direction of tension of said chain.

13. A conveyer comprising a fixed trough, a movable trough mounted forpivotal movement with respect thereto, a spring on said fixed trough, achain connected to both ends oth ends to said of said spring, and meanson said movable trough for engaging said chain to tension it in adesired direction for moving said movable trough.

14. A conveyer comprisin a fixed trough, a movable trough mounted orpivotal movement with respect thereto, a chain connected to said fixedtrough at points on opposite sides of the pivotal connection of saidtroughs, a sprocket on said movable trough for engaging said chain,-agear carried by the sprocket, and a worm for turning said gear in eitherdesired direction to correspondingly move the movable trough.

15. The combination with a main conveyer, of an arcuately adjustable,section at the terminal thereof, an operating means on the adjustablesection, and a flexible connection engaged by the operating meansextending to points on opposite sides of the main conveyer.

16. In a conveyer, a main section and a terminal section, sald terminalsection being arcuately adjustable with respect to the main section, anoperating gear on one section, and a flexible connection enga ed by theoperating gear extending from t e operating gear to spaced apart pointson the other section.

17. In a conveyer, a main seotion. a terminal section pivotallyconnected with the main section, operating means associated with the twosections for pivotally movin the latter with respect to the former, saioperating means being resiliently connected with at least one of thesections.

18. A conveyercomprising relatively pivotally mounted trough sections,and means fastened to one of such sections and connected to the otherfor eifecting relative pivotal movement therebetween.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' CLARENCE R. CLAGHORN. a

